Charades
by baker's huntress
Summary: Friendships heal and strengthen as the team plays charades.


**Charades**

_Summary: _Friendships heal and strengthen as the team plays charades. *Fitz-centric*

_Disclaimer: _If I owned _Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D._, it wouldn't hurt so much whenever Fitz and Simmons are on screen together.

_A/N:_ This starts off after "Face my Enemy," so Fitz is now friends with Hunter, and Simmons has yet to return. It continues through the following episodes (sort of) and then veers off. But mostly, it's AU. I love the scene in "Face my Enemy" where Fitz was trying to explain to the others what was going on with the BUS, and they all jumped in to finish his sentences. It almost looked like they were playing a game (to me at least), so this was born. By the way, Fitz is my favorite character. Even though the story is about the team, it will be slightly (_greatly_) Fitz-centric.

**charades**, _n._ A game in which the players are typically divided into two teams, members of which take turns at acting out in pantomime a word, phrase, title, etc., which the members of their own team must guess. (from _dictionary . com_)

* * *

><p>The first time they played charades, it was at Skye's suggestion. She said it without thinking, and immediately regretted her words as soon as they came out.<p>

Coulson and May were out on a mission. It was another personal mission regarding the alien symbols Coulson kept on etching, but Skye and the others did not know that. All they knew was that they were left with some time off.

Sure, there were some trivial tasks they could have done, like sweep up the laboratory floor or cleaning the grease off of the automotive tools. Or they could have continued deciphering the symbols Coulson wanted decrypted. But it was so rare and unusual that Skye, Trip, Hunter, Mack, and Fitz would find themselves free at the same time that they all wanted to take the opportunity to just relax and hang out together.

Unfortunately, the five friends could not agree on what to do. Skye had immediately vetoed the others' suggestions of playing _Call of Duty _("No. Just, _no_."), watching _Doctor Who_ ("I'm sorry, but no."), working out at the gym ("That's too much like work!"), or going out to a not-so-nearby bar and getting plastered ("Does everything have to involve alcohol with you?").

Frustrated, Hunter said something along the lines of, "You suggest something, then, if our ideas aren't good enough for you!" To which Skye replied with, "Let's play a game. Oh, I know! Want to play charades?"

As soon as the words registered in her ears, Skye slapped a hand to her mouth and stared wide-eyed at Fitz. Hunter shot her an incredulous look that clearly said, "Did you really just ask the man who has trouble with words if he wanted to play a game that revolved around acting out and shouting out words?" Trip was avoiding eye contact with everyone, and was doing a poor job of trying not to get noticed. Fitz looked down towards the floor, ears reddening. Whether it was due to embarrassment or anger, Skye didn't get to find out because a second later Mack let out a, "Great idea!"

The others stared at him in surprise, but Mack dutifully ignored them and immediately claimed Fitz for his team. It was the two of them against Skye, Hunter, and Trip.

Skye would never underestimate Mack's ability to read Fitz's thoughts again. Or Fitz's genius, no matter how deeply his abilities seemed to have been buried.

Fitz and Mack had won.

Scratched that. They didn't just win. They decimated their opponents.

* * *

><p>The first time Hunter suggested they play charades, it was just a diversionary tactic.<p>

Coulson had called his elites for a team briefing. After Fitz and Mack were dismissed to work on a solution for something or other (Hunter had zoned off and missed a few bits), the discussion turned to revealing Simmons' true whereabouts to the other two members of the team.

Hunter advised against it.

"It's too soon," he said. "He's _just_ started to move on."

Curious looks met his statement.

"Move on from what?" Coulson asked after a few long seconds.

"How can you lot not know?" Hunter didn't bother hiding his incredulity. "You've worked with him far longer than Mack and I have. Fitz is in love with Simmons. He apparently told her how he felt. But she didn't feel the same way, so she left."

"That _wasn't_ why she left," May insisted.

"But that's what Fitz believes. And I'd rather he believe that than know that the woman he loves would rather volunteer for a mission to infiltrate HYDRA than return his feelings."

Their reactions to his words surprised Hunter greatly.

Concern broke through May's indifferent expression. Coulson completely clammed up. The man was literally clenching his jaw. Trip looked like a little boy who'd been thoroughly admonished by his mother. And Skye looked like she would burst into tears at any moment.

"Or you could tell him," Hunter said quickly, retracting his former statement. "You lot know him better than I do."

Skye scoffed and wiped away the single tear that got loose.

"That's the thing. We _don't_. Not anymore. He won't open up to us, but he'd run and tell you and Mack his deepest secrets."

Hunter raised an eyebrow at the venom that laced her words.

"Hey, now. No need to be mean. It's not our fault Fitz talked to us."

"Are you saying it's _our_ fault?"

"What did you expect? You treat him like he's made of glass. And you keep comparing him to the man he once was. Even though you don't voice it out loud, I see when you do it. And if I could see it, then I'm sure Fitz sees it as well. Mack and I, we treat him like he's normal. Because to us, he is."

Skye had no come back.

"Enough." The quiet order came from the director. "We'll go with your call, Hunter. We won't tell Fitz yet. Mack doesn't need to know either. For now, let's take some time to collect ourselves. Take the afternoon off. Tell Fitz and Mack they can continue their work in the morning. It wasn't urgent, anyway."

"I'll tell 'em," Skye mumbled, then quickly made her way to the exit. Triplett followed closely behind her.

Hunter's eyes widen in alarm, and he rushed after them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang on, you two."

They stopped at his words, but Hunter made sure to block their path as well.

"What now?" Skye's irritation was back, and Hunter sighed at that.

"Are you really that jealous that Fitz opened up to me? 'Cause if I were you, I'd be more irritated at Mack. He's practically Fitz's new best friend."

Hunter knew he just threw his friend under the proverbial bus, and he was okay with that; especially, if it meant Skye would stop glaring at him like he stole her favorite teddy bear. His words worked, and her expression softened, if only slightly.

"Why did you stop us, Hunter?"

"Just wanted to make sure you didn't look like…," he swept a hand towards Skye and Triplet, "_that _before you faced Fitz."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Triplet asked somewhat offended.

"You both look guilty. What happened to all that training in showing no facial expression? Keep it together, would you? We don't want them to know something's up."

Skye and Triplet schooled their features to one of indifference. Hunter nodded his approval then led the way towards the lab where Fitz and Mack were working. Unfortunately, as soon as Skye saw Fitz, her façade broke. Panicking, Hunter said the first words that came to his mind.

"So Coulson gave us all the rest of the day off. Want to play charades?"

Hunter cringed as his four friends and three lab technicians that he never bothered to learn the names of stared at him. Why the bloody hell did he have to sound so exuberant at wanting to play charades?

"Sure." Hunter could have kissed Fitz for breaking the awkward silence.

"I got Fitz!" both Skye and Triplet exclaimed at the same time. Then they turned to glare at one another. Hunter had to once again jump in to hide that anything was amiss.

"_All right_. Fine. Skye, Trip, and Fitz versus Mack and me."

It was an eventful game, to say the least. And not in a good way. At least, not at first.

Skye and Triplet kept guessing wrong, causing Fitz to get frustrated and lose his temper. But Mack would quickly rein Fitz's anger in by gently, yet forcibly telling him to "calm the hell down."

It took an hour, but Skye and Triplet eventually learned to understand Fitz better, and Fitz learned to control his temper better. Since he was less frustrated, Fitz was able to find the right words to yell out.

The game ended in a draw.

And Hunter's distraction plan turned out to be a complete success.

* * *

><p>The first time Simmons heard the suggestion that they play charades, she was appalled that they'd even consider it given Fitz's condition. That was, of course, until the others shouted "I got Fitz!" practically at the same time.<p>

She was ashamed to admit it, but she was truly surprised as she listened to Skye and Triplet argue over who called Fitz first.

Feeling someone's gaze on her, Simmons turned her head and met Fitz's impeccably blue eyes. She flushed when she realized she'd been caught. No doubt, he'd read the bewilderment in her features. She opened her mouth to apologize and to explain. But before she got the words out, May and Coulson made an appearance.

"You have room for two more?" Coulson asked.

"Absolutely!" Triplet answered with a huge grin. "Now we can make this 'ladies versus gents.'"

"Or," May interrupted. "I'll take the boys. And Phil, you can take the girls."

Coulson turned to her with an incredulous expression.

"You just want Fitz," he accused.

"For the record," Triplet interjected, "I'm totally fine with that arrangement."

Coulson rounded on him.

"Of course you would be. You'd be on the same team as Fitz."

"I'm glad you agree, Trip," May said, completely ignoring Coulson. "Fitz, are you okay with being on my team?" He simply nodded. "Good. It's settled." She gave Coulson a smug smile.

Triplet gave a similar smile to Skye, whose shoulders were already sagging in defeat.

Soon enough, Simmons found herself in the briefing room surrounded by the people she knew longest and grew closest to since joining S.H.I.E.L.D. There was Skye, who joined Coulson's specialized team practically the same time as she did. There was Triplet, who she vouched for and helped to get onto the team. There was May, who taught her how to lie and how to shoot and how to defend herself. There was Coulson, who was the only genuinely friendly face she saw for several months during her undercover mission. And, of course, there was Fitz, her best friend since their academy days, and the most important person in her life.

Despite all that, however, she could honestly say that she'd never felt more disconnected from the team as she did during that game.

When it was Fitz's turn to act out a charade, he held up a pointer finger. Then he proceeded to act like he was punching an invisible being. Simmons squinted her eyes slightly as she thought. There were just too many possibilities of what his charade could be.

Triplet had spouted out guesses from the moment Fitz had begun. May, on the other hand, remained quiet and watched. After only five seconds of Fitz's punching, she stood up and broke her silence by saying, "'The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club.'"

"Yes!" Fitz yelled excitedly. Triplet whooped.

And all Simmons kept thinking was, _What the hell is Fight Club? And how does Fitz know about this Fight Club?_

She felt her estrangement from the team even more when it was her turn to act out a charade.

She'd gone up to Skye's laptop to be given a random word or phrase. The first proffered word was 'red.' The only way she could think of to act out that word was to find the nearest red object and point. Not very fun. She hit the "pass" button so the laptop would generate another charade. She smiled at the proffered phrase and hit the "accept" button.

Standing before her friends, she pressed a finger against her lips. Almost immediately after, Skye and Coulson fired off their guesses—their _incorrect _guesses.

"_Quiet_! A _library_!"

"Um, _silence._ Oh! _Silence of the Lamb_! _Hannibal Lecter_!_ Cannibal_! Oh, I know. _The Walking Dead_!"

Coulson turned his attention to Skye.

"How on earth did you get from _Silence of the Lamb _to _The Walking Dead_?"

"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you."

The clock was ticking. Simmons waved to get their attention. Once their focus was on her again, she proceeded to act like she was using a shovel to dig a hole. Then she got down on her knees and a planted an invisible plant.

"Yeah, I'm still saying _The Walking Dead_. You're going all Farmer Rick."

"We've already established that it's not _The Walking Dead._ She was planting something. Oh, people plant in the spring! It's _spring_, right?"

Simmons shook her head. She tried again by pressing her palms together then opening it up like one would a book. Then she mimed rolling a camera.

"It's a book turned into a movie!" Finally, a correct guess! Simmons could have hugged Coulson.

"_Harry Potter_! _Hunger Games_! _Percy Jackson_! _Twilight_!"

Coulson turned his attention to Skye again.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm naming all the most popular book-turned-movie from the last few years, what does it sound like I'm doing? We're running out of—"

"_Time!_" Triplet yelled out more excited than he should be.

Simmons watched dejectedly as Team May celebrated and as Coulson and Skye argued over guessing techniques. How could they not know one of her favorite books growing up? Didn't they remember her watching the movie at least once a week on the BUS? Had they forgotten everything about her in the months she'd been away?

She had only been gone a few months. But somehow, it felt like she'd been gone a lifetime.

"You guys have fifteen seconds to steal," Skye said, breaking Simmons' thoughts. "Starting _now_!" She hit the start button on her phone's timer.

There was only silence as May, Triplet, and Fitz stared at her. Simmons tried not to fidget where she stood.

"Ten seconds," Skye called. "Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four—"

"_The Secret Garden._"

His words were soft, but she heard him. She met Fitz's stare, and tears started to pool in the corners of her eyes.

No matter how long they've been apart or how mad and disappointed he was at her—and no matter how estranged their relationship had become or how disconnected she felt from the team—she and Fitz would always have a connection.

With that knowledge reaffirmed, Simmons found herself feeling truly happy for the first time since…since before everything fell apart.

She couldn't even fake being sad or sorry as she turned to Skye and Coulson to tell them that Team May had just gained another point.

* * *

><p>The first time Simmons touched Fitz's shoulder again was during a charades game. In fact, it was the first time she touched him at all since she returned to the Playground a month before. And it was also the first time she and Fitz were placed on the same team.<p>

That had been Skye's doing. "The original members of Team Coulson versus people who later joined our team," she'd said. Simmons had to give Skye credit. That was one of her better attempts in getting on the same team as Fitz. Or at least it was a lot better than "People who are geniuses with computers versus people who aren't." That particular arrangement would have left Hunter leading a one-man team.

About a half-hour into the game, Skye demonstrated her great flexibility by doing a bridge. Within a split second of her acrobatics, both Simmons and Fitz yelled out, "_Bridge over Troubled Water_!"

They were playing in the hangar this time. They'd pushed some crates and metal boxes together to serve as their seats. Fitz, however, sat crossed-legged on the floor in front of and towards the left of the metal box Simmons was sitting on. After Skye cheered when she and Fitz shouted the correct guess, Simmons unconsciously reached over to place her left hand on Fitz's right shoulder and gave a light squeeze in congratulations.

She'd only realized what she'd done when Fitz went rigid at her touch. Time seemed to have stood still, but her heart started to race in her panic. For the life of her, she could not get her hand to cooperate and remove itself from Fitz's shoulder. Her face grew warm with embarrassment and mortification. How she prayed the others weren't paying attention to her and Fitz.

Suddenly, after some of the longest few seconds of Simmons' life, Fitz began to move. He raised his left hand towards her own, and Simmons feared he would brush her hand away. She knew she would not be able to stop her tears if she had to face that kind of rejection—that kind of rejection _from him_.

But much to her surprise, he didn't push her hand away. Instead, he covered her hand with his and squeezed. Then he turned his head so he could look at her and gave her a shy smile.

It was the first genuine smile he'd sent her way since she got back.

After a few seconds, Fitz gave her hand one more squeeze before removing his hand completely from hers and turning his attention forward. Simmons' hand lingered for a couple seconds before she finally found the strength to pull away.

Happiness and hope bubbled within her.

At that moment, she knew for certain that she and Fitz were going to be okay.


End file.
